Morgan Student Named to Inaugural Class of Rhoden Fellows

Congratulations to Morgan junior Simone Benson on her selection as a Rhoden Fellow. Benson, who is majoring in multimedia journalism in the School of Global Journalism and Communication, is one of six students from several Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) chosen for ESPN’s The Undefeated’s inaugural class of fellows.

Sponsored by ESPN, the Rhoden Fellowship is a two-year program that provides students with a unique opportunity to report news stories at their universities and cover HBCU life. They will also get to produce multimedia content and cover sports teams in their respective markets. Additionally, each student selected will participate in a paid summer internship at one of ESPN’s nationwide properties, working 40-hours a week for ten weeks.

Benson is from Milford, Delaware, and says she hopes the fellowship opportunity gives her a “foot in the door” as she prepares for her career. “This opportunity literally fell in my lap and I knew it was for me,” says Benson. She hopes to learn from seasoned journalists like Morgan alumnus William Rhoden, the fellowship’s namesake. Rhoden serves as the head of the fellowship program and is a columnist and editor-at-large for The Undefeated.

Other HBCUs represented in the program include Grambling State University, Hampton University, Howard University, Morehouse College, and North Carolina A&T State University. Benson is already working closely with her fellow inductees, as they prepare to launch a collaborative podcast very soon. She has a passion for investigative research but loves sports, especially basketball. The Los Angeles Lakers fan believes sports writing will only make her an even stronger journalist.

“This is taking me out of my comfort zone,” says Benson. “It’s helping me to expand my horizons.”